The Taliban's Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, hosted a delegation in Kabul on Sunday led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss multiple issues, including water resources, Afghan migrants, and security of the shared borders, in the highest level delegation between Iran and the Taliban since the latter seized power in 2021.
Araghchi reiterated Tehran's "readiness to expand bilateral cooperation" and highlighted the "importance of Afghanistan's cooperation in securing the interests of both nations."
Muttaqi praised the close ties between the two countries, saying that "Iran and Afghanistan always share each other’s sorrows and joys,” according to Tehran's official news agency, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). This was also corroborated by an official statement from the Taliban's Foreign Ministry.
Muttaqi also stated that the return of migrants is a priority "for the Islamic Emirate" of Afghanistan, according to IRNA.
The flow of Afghan immigrants has increased since the Taliban took over in August 2021 after US forces withdrew, according to Agence France-Presse.
Concerns over water rights
Muttaqi stated that "Water should be a means to preserve and enhance friendship between the two nations. Afghanistan remains committed to its obligations regarding Iran's water rights," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Tensions between Iran and Afghanistan have intensified in recent years over water rights and the construction of dams on the Helmand and Harirud rivers. Conflict over water resources has led to border skirmishes between Taliban militias and Iranian border guards over recent years.
Several Iranian delegations have visited Afghanistan over the years, including a parliamentary delegation in August 2023 to discuss water rights, according to Agence France-Presse.
The meeting was also the first visit of Tehran's Foreign Minister to Kabul since 2017, according to the Associated Press.
Muttaqi also expressed a desire to increase the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries, given their many commonalities and mutual interests, according to Hafiz Zia Ahmad, a spokesman of the Taliban's Foreign Ministry.
Muttaqi also claimed that "Afghanistan has become a secure country after decades of war, and this is in the interest of the entire region," according to Ahmad.
Araghchi stated that the Afghan government's fight against drugs is effective and suggested that relevant agencies share experiences in the fight against drugs, according to Ahmad.
نن په کابل کي د افغانستان اسلامي امارت د بهرنیو چارو وزیر محترم مولوي امیر خان متقي او د ایران اسلامي جمهوریت د بهرنیو چارو وزیر محترم ډاکټر سید عباس عراقچي سره وکتل. په دې ناسته کې دواړو لوریو د افغانستان او ایران ترمنځ پر دوو اړخیزو اړیکو، اقتصادي همکاریو، په ایران کې... pic.twitter.com/oFzHxVtcIZ
— Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) January 26, 2025
Iran shares more than 900 kilometers (560 miles) of border with Afghanistan, and Iran hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, mostly Afghans who fled their country over two decades of war.
Media reactions
The visit was reportedly criticized by both Iranians and Afghans, with Iranian newspaper Jomhouri Eslami (Islamic Republican) stating that it grants the Taliban legitimacy, adding that "no country, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, recognizes them," according to Iran International.
Iran does not formally recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government; however, it has maintained political and economic ties with Kabul since the Islamist regime took control in 2021, and Tehran hosts an Afghani embassy managed by the Taliban government.
Meanwhile, Araghchi also met with the Taliban's acting Prime Minister, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, and the Taliban's Defense Minister, Yaqoob Mujahid, during the visit, according to US-based Amu TV.